McCain Criticizes Katrina Response as ‘Disgraceful’

The New York Times ^ | April 25, 2008 | ELISABETH BUMILLER

[Hot Tabasco]

Losing patience?

Yea, I had to scrape my cellar to find a tiny bit of patience that would allow me to vote for him considering the alternative.

[hinckley buzzard]

Does he have a clue?

Consider the audience, and his goal, which is to get elected, not defend the Bush administration. McCain's primary challenge in this election will be to distance himself effectively from Bush and defuse the "Bush III" accusation. We can expect to hear a lot more of this kind of post hoc disagreement as the fight is joined with the 'rats. And I doubt Dubya will care a whit.

[southern rock]

It is not the government’s job - Federal or otherwise - to protect people from the weather.

[Santa Fe_Conservative]

Except Clinton wasn’t president when Andrew struck...

[DoughtyOne]

NEW ORLEANS — Senator John McCain took direct aim at the Bush administration on Thursday as he stood in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, the area hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and declared that “never again will a disaster of this nature be handled in the terrible and disgraceful way that it was handled.”

That quote didn't bother you?

Senator John McCain wants to be the figure-head of Conservatism.  Okay, lets think that out...

John McCain becomes President.  He's still the same old John McCain.

The RNC backs his liberal policies to maintain a position of power
The Republicans in Congress back his polices to maintain access to the White House
Republican candidates for Congressional seats move to the left, since John McCain proved that moving to the left assures RNC support  and votes
The Republican party leadership at the state level moves left as McCain and the RNC demand it
Republican candidates at the state level move to the left, since John McCain proved that moving to the left assures Republican support and votes
Republican Conservative office holders across the nation will be silenced
Apologists on Conservative forums across this nation defend McCain against the few Conservatives who are left, and attack them there (forums move left)
Last but not least, the Democrats move even farther left to differentiate themselves from McCain

Who writes Conservative bills and rams them through state or federal government after that?

Who talks about Conservatism from a position of power?  Who takes the chance to disagree with McCain on anything?

Under a John McCain Presidency, Conservatism ceases to become a movement, and becomes a theory.  It will no longer be practiced by enough politicians to be viable.

Under leftist McCain, there is no functional opposition.  Promoting leftist policy, it all passes without opposition, nobody objects to the liberal policies
Under leftist Hillary or Barack, there is not only a functional opposition, it grows by leaps and bounds in objection to their policies

We saw what a one party system did to Arkansas under Clinton.  It was terrible.  Now we want to install that in our federal government, leftists one and all.

No thanks.  Color me dumb, but I'm not voting to turn the U.S. into 1980s Arkansas.

LINK: Welcome to McCain's impact on the Republican National Committee, it's happening
LINK: Welcome to McCain's impact on future candidates, it's being advocated
LINK: Welcome to McCain's impact on State level Republican party leadership, it's happening
LINK: Welcome to McCain's impact on Republican Conservative office holder voices, it's happening
LINK: Welcome to McCain's impact on Conservative forums, it's happening

Folks, you either wake the hell up, or doom conservatism to oblivion.  After November the 4th, it's too late.  You will have silenced Conservatism in our nation for four or eight years, and quite possibly forever.

[crazyhorse691]

The Rats can save their ad money for other things as McCain doesn’t need their help to make himself look bad. He had better pick one heck of a good VP if he wants to count on my vote.

[dbacks]

Of course, you note he hasn’t said a word about what HE would have done! Because he hasn’t a clue!

[Milly]

I will stay home , I will not vote For John McCain..

[PA-RIVER]

Thats just our fair weather friend McCain, brown nosing and back stabbing as usual.

The man is so stupid. I bet he believes half the crap he says.

[JRochelle]

He blamed all levels of government, including local government.

I think he got it right.

[Xenalyte]

You oughta see the ones who moved here to Houston.

“Epic naughty”* about sums it up.

*But without Santa threads.

[TNCMAXQ]

His comment about flying there as soon as possible if he was president sounds like a direct attack on GWB.

I’ve gotten a few mailings from McCain asking for money and I almost gave in and sent a few dollars. Not now.

[wastedyears]

GO HOME you crazy old man.

[rogue yam]

How is he wrong? The feds screwed the pooch on that one if, by nothing else, letting those incompetent hacks at the state and local level screw things up so badly.

McCain is completely wrong in every particular. The federal response was not disgraceful; for the most part it was fine. The 'Rats and the media jumped on it for political reasons and Pres. Bush failed to prevent them from winning the propaganda battle, but the actual federal response was about as good as one could hope for.

[bmwcyle]

I sent to money letter back today. I told John to kiss something.

[Gator113]

McCain will be the best democrat President this country has ever elected.

[wastedyears]

Why is it that Bush/the FedGov should get the blame for the failure of the NOLA/LA state governments?

[wastedyears]

I agree with you, FRiend. I’m just thinking about staying home come November.

Besides, it gets cold in November.

[james500]

“Senator John McCain took direct aim at the Bush administration on Thursday”

That’s the NYTimes characterization. Elisabeth Bumiller has very little credibility with me and Bill Keller’s got even less. Maybe they’re right this time, that’s why I wan’t a transcript, which I can’t find yet.

““never again will a disaster of this nature be handled in the terrible and disgraceful way that it was handled.”
That quote didn’t bother you?”

Nope. I don’t think Nagin or Blanco handled the disaster in a pleasant and graceful way. Others may disagree.

[Corin Stormhands]

Yeah, he has a clue, just not a big enough one.

I just got back last week from a week long reconstruction project in New Orleans. It’s still a mess down there.

The reality is the feds did screw up the response. BUT, so did EVERYBODY else. It’s a much more complicated issue than pointing the fingers at FEMA, or Blanco, or Nagin or the looters (who were a small percentage of the actual residents but who were most featured on the news).

It’s simply not fair to blame Blanco and Nagin for everything while ignoring the feds.

Just my $0.02. Your mileage may vary.